We have not participated in the Ruby Tuesday or Roger's Creative Photography in a while, but on Saturday as Nancy and I drove back home from Tupelo, we were blessed with this wonderful sky. I looked at her and said "Sure...today I don't have my camera!" Then I thought about it and whipped out my cellphone and snapped away.

Hope you enjoy it. I do not think this represents how blue the sky was, but it is fairly accurate. I did not manipulate the shot at all.

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Yesterday was a travel day and by the time I got to the hotel, dealt with work emails and whipped this up, I was exhausted and my back and legs were really bothering me - hey I promise I will stop talking about my pains -

So I did not visit any of you, but promise to today. I am sure TRAVIS of "Trav's Thoughts" has a bunch of thoughts about the new season of Dancing With The Stars...

So, ARod got caught and did the mea culpa thing...sigh...We lost the one guy I thought could push the others out of the record book.

It is sad...Baseball is about numbers. The other sports are about winning and losing. Baseball fans know what 300, 714, .400 mean. We know what constitutes a great player by their numbers.

In football, most do not know the individual records. In basketball and hockey, even fewer know. They are meaningless. Football players use 'roids, but no one really cares, because you want big guys on the field pounding each other. The other two sports are so under the radar people seem to not even care.

So, what do we do now? Does ARod admitting to using 'roids in three seasons put him in the "Please Do Not Enter" category for the Hall of Fame along with McGuire, Bonds, Sosa and Palmiero?

Does his coming clean (after the fact - was the Katie Couric interview his Clinton "I did not have sex with that woman" interview?), give him a pass some 10 years down the road...if his numbers stay the same does it change our feelings? If his numbers decline, do they change our feelings?

I am now joining the long line of sports host yelling for MLB to release the other 103 names. There is a list of 104 names from 2003 of players who failed the test. Why did MLB keep this list when it was supposed to be 'confidential'? Shows the stupidity of the whole front office that runs baseball. By putting all those names out there you do not only allow us to know who was using, more importantly, you let us know who was clean.

Did Gene Orza the #2 in the MLB Players Association actually tell players that they were about to be tested? The man has done some great things for the union...if he did this, he should be on the unemployment line tomorrow.

Baseball needs to institute blood testing for HGH and they need to do it TOMORROW...screw the "freedoms". If the MLBPA really cares for their clients they need to get on board.

The only way ARod gets in the Hall is if he continues his run of great numbers and agrees to be blood tested for HGH for the rest of his career.

Until MLB and the MLBPA and the players come clean with blood tests, Hank Aaron is the Home Run career leader and Roger Maris owns the season Home Run title. MY OPINION.

I think the only players that would surprise me if it came out that he was using the 'roids is Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols

Very nice photo. There was a beautiful sunset here yesterday, but I didn't have my camera, didn't think about my cell phone and I was driving! So, no photo.Professional sports are generally a mess when it comes to the use of performance enhancing drugs. I've just about quit watching pro baseball. Thankfully, I have a good college team to watch when I get the urge.

You know I am a huge Yankee fan. Those numbers will never mean anything. WE know he lies. How can we possibly think he is now telling the truth. One thing is for certain: The Yanks got taken. Had they folowed through on the stance of not signing him, this mess would have been someone eles problem...

I also chuckle every time I hear someone go on about the 'sanctity' of the Hall. Please.

Seriously--there is no way you can be 'assured' that all those in the Hall were totally 'clean'. What enhances a performance? Does the use of alcohol 'enhance' the performance if it's how the player stays calm? We know that many Hall of Fame players routinely drank when garnering their 'numbers'. We know that amphetamine use was rampant at times. It's not like 'enhancing' substances just magically appeared. Since there has been baseball there has been someone trying to get an advantage.

And if greatness in baseball is really just about the numbers then why isn't Pete in there? Hmmm?

The only thing that surprises me about A-Rod's admission is that people are surprised. I don't know why. He's always seemed to me to be one of the more likely roiders. In fact I really can't think of a big name player that I would be shocked to hear had at least experimented with steroids.

And I'm not sure that I really care all that much. I think the hypocrisy shown by the media, the players union, management and MLB top people is the most disgusting part of the whole thing. The drug use itself is just unfortunate, but actually understandable in many ways.

Can you believe that one of the reporters asked the President last night about baseball, A-Rod and the whole doping thing? Like the man doesn't have enough to worry about! *sheesh* At least he gave the right answer.

Football is my favorite sport, baseball is a distant second and I was never a big fan of A-Rod

I'm with Jay in terms of not really caring and in his take on the hypocrisy

And I agree with Tink - considering all that there is to be enraged about in the real world - screw people who make millions over playing a game - starting with the owners - of all involved I give the players - especially the young ones - the most leeway

the sanctimonious sportscasters and (some) fans kill me too - they love this crap - one more thing to point at, one more way to be judgmental

and I don't buy the role model for kids crap either - my son played sports from 3 til still and had many players he loved BUT -- I made sure his heroes were people who contribute to real life and rarely get recognized and surely don't make millions - teachers, firefighters, etc.

this country's values and priorities are so screwed up

the photo is beautiful!! which is probably all I should have said but this makes me nuts

The pastels of the sky are always right for a picture, meme or not! This sky made for a nice ride, just keep your eyes on the road occasionally...

Too bad about A-Rod. You only want to dislike a player because he is the consummate competitor and beats your guys because of his playing alone...At least he is being honest now, he would have the numbers to make the Hall - Pete Rose was denied, but should A-Rod too(asks this Bosox fan)?

A-Rod's "explanation" was a joke. He said, "I was young, naive, blah blah blah." I laughed because it reminded of what some up and coming starlet who had been shown to have done porn earlier in her career might say. Cheers Vin!!

TO ALL: I love the different takes on this situation...Do I believe him? I want to, but I am not sure. I do know that if his numbers stay the same and he takes the test for HGH, then we have to think that his numbers are real.

TURNBABY: Pete is not in the Hall because he bet on baseball...on his team...there is no way he deserves to be inducted...NEVER

But your petard regarding Pete is "Baseball is about numbers. The other sports are about winning and losing. Baseball fans know what 300, 714, .400 mean. We know what constitutes a great player by their numbers"

Pete Rose did NOT get his 'numbers' betting on baseball. According to the Dowd Report "no evidence was discovered that Rose bet against the Reds." He got his all important numbers being Charlie Hustle--he was the ultimate grinder. If anyone can be held up as the worker bee of baseball he has to be there.

He 'accepted' the ban because he had no choice. MLB forever wrapped itself in hypocrisy with that demand.

And you are right, it's sad how these athletes feel the need to use drugs to increase their performance. I hope they do release the list so the youngsters out there can choose their sports idols/heros who are not doped up.

Rodgriguez is a drug cheat, just like all the other drug cheats we know about and those still getting away with it because they haven't been outed yet.

And as to any mea culpa apology, let's remember that when the news report first broke that his name was on the list, his response was "talk to the union." He only spoke out with his apology in an exclusive interview, but his first reaction was to deflect until he could control the circumstances and questions he wanted to answer.

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I got into blogging to express myself. It has led me to sharing my life, my passion for food, my fiction and my love of music.
Music On The Couch is a passion for me. Sharing "Musicians You Should Know" and helping those who appear on the show to grow their audience.